Legion of Superheroes Se03Ep04: The Boy Who Cried Wolf
by A-Giant-Fan
Summary: The Legion returns to Rawl searching for Brainiac's robots, but are shocked to find that not only is the Dark Circle there, but they seem to be working with Doctor Mar Londo. Timber Wolf finally faces off against his father for what could be the last time, while Brainy tries to take matters into his own hands.
1. 01

Timber Wolf walked through the halls of the new Legion cruiser as it flew through the emptiness of space. He and a few other members were out tracking loose Brainiac soldiers in an attempt to gather information from them before they're destroyed. They were far off from Earth now where others were keeping tabs on New Metropolis, leaving them without much aid if danger arrived. Another typical day for the Legion.

He soon came upon Brainiac 5's room. He heard something fizzing inside and, opening the door, found Brainy tinkering with one of his emotional stabilizer stickers, the other on his cheek. He walked in as Brainy finished it and placed it back on, where both blinked a bright purple twice before fading back to white.

"You never had those before, Brainiac 5."

"I never needed them before. I created them to keep my stronger emotions under control until I can perform tasks without….going insane."

"How long have you had them?"

"It's been a little while, but it's progressing."

"Have you seen a doctor about it?"

Brainy gave him a smirk. "That'd go over well. Doctor, can you help me with my transition into real boyhood and hormone charged feelings? By the way, do people who've nearly taken over the galaxy get medical discounts?"

"Good to see your sarcasm is still in tack."

" _Attention, legionnaires_ ," Cosmic Boy's voice came over the speakers, " _come to the bridge. We've got a reading_."

Brainiac 5 and Timber Wolf flew out of the room and made their way to the bridge, where Phantom Girl and Triplicate Girl were at the console, Cosmic Boy piloting from behind them. "Is it within the ship's radius?"

Supergirl flew in behind him as Phantom Girl nodded. "Tracking loose Brainiac soldiers may be our only chance to locate your ancestor, and finally after hours of searching we've found some."

"Great!" Supergirl looked out into space. "On that planet?"

Timber Wolf was silent, contemplating as Triplicate Girl turned back to them.

"A planet we know all too well, Supergirl – welcome to Rawl."

* * *

 **THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF**

Cosmic Boy carefully landed the ship in an empty patch of dry ground between the never-ending forests as Supergirl took the view in. "You've been here before? It looks abandoned."

"It was always supposed to be abandoned," Timber Wolf explained, "until my father brought me here and began experimenting on the wildlife for his scientific advancements…including his own son."

"…You mean…you're not a real werewolf?!"

Triplicate Girl could hardly contain a chuckle. "No, Supergirl, he isn't a werewolf."

"Doctor Mar Londo is a criminal scientist that gave Timber Wolf his canine like appearance and abilities. This planet is out of intergalactic jurisdictions, and therefore its laws."

"A criminal planet. No wonder Brainiac placed some of his soldiers here. No one would look here."

"No one but the Legion of Superheroes," Cosmic Boy corrected her, "now let's get out there and gather some Intel."

The legionnaires left the ship and began flying over the forest, the moans of wild creatures echoing through the trees and dusty air. "This is super creepy," Supergirl rubbed her arms, "like we're in some kind of post-apocalyptic movie."

"It's been a few years, hasn't it?" Phantom Girl flew closer to Timber Wolf. "So…are you gonna be alright here?"

"I have no idea where my father is, or what he's doing as we speak," he replied as they neared his father's abandoned laboratory in the middle of the forest, "but I'm not going to let what he's done to me…to all of us stop me from finishing our mission. He doesn't control me."

"I know. You're a bit of a lone wolf, after all."

Supergirl flew over to his other side. "And a team player, correct?"

He focused his attention on the laboratory. "Most of the time."

They landed down by the front entrance where Cosmic Boy used his powers to force the metal to slide apart, allowing them in. "If Brainiac sent soldiers here then they must be trying to locate something inside Doctor Londo's old laboratory."

"Then we'd better find it first," Triplicate Girl cracked her knuckles, "let's get inside."

They flew inside to find it completely dark, not a light in sight. "I've upgraded our rings with help from Invisible Kid and Shrinking Violet." Brainiac 5 pressed down on his, sending out a bright light that reached a few feet in front of him. "We used to have flashlights included, but I had to take the light out to add other features. Now I've added extra space inside to…," he could see the others were losing interest quickly, "…we have flashlights back."

"Whoop!" Phantom Girl pumped her fist. "Okay, so there are three halls ahead. We'll split up into pairs and explore each of them at the same time to cover more ground. Supergirl, you're with me to the right. Brainiac 5, you and Timber Wolf take the middle, and Triplicate Girl, you take Cosmic Boy down the left. We'll keep in contact and meet up back here in exactly one hour, understand?"

Everyone nodded, and they took to their separate halls – unaware of the camera that moved, zooming in on them as they separated.

* * *

"They're coming in pairs."

Mar Londo stood, watching the screen, a Dark Circle assassin on either side of him as they viewed the legionnaires flying through the halls of the laboratory. "You know what you have to do, Doctor Londo."

"I have the tools given to me by your funding, but tell me," Londo glanced at one of them, "what is it I owe you in return?"

"We have a bounty for Brainiac 5 here," the assassin handed Londo a picture of Brainy followed by an enormous number below, "collect him for us, and we promise to give you and your precious son…a proper reunion."

Londo turned back to the screens, watching Brainiac 5 and Timber Wolf looking around the hall for clues.

"…I have it all now, Brin. Finally, after all these years of hiding, I will perfect you."

 **Yeah, baby, we're back on Rawl, and with Londo in the picture you know this reunion is going to be a wild one. One of my favourite episodes from the second season was "Cry Wolf", because of its noir-like style and detective format. It was a lot of fun travelling with Timber Wolf...well, mainly his inner monologue, but whatever. Now we're back, and it's time to have some...dark fun.**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	2. 02

"This place is way colder than I thought it was going to be." Supergirl began to shiver as she and Phantom Girl went deeper into the corridor. "Why didn't I ever make my super suit temperature resistant?"

"I didn't know the cold bothered you."

"It does when I constantly think about it."

"Then let's focus on the task at hand. Do you hear anything around us?"

Supergirl used her enhanced hearing, focusing on any sounds behind the walls and further into the darkness. "There's more moaning up ahead. I'm betting that after being abandoned all these years some of those creatures from the forest got in to find warmth and protection."

"They'll be easy enough to deal with, so long as they aren't some of Doctor Londo's left over experiments."

They continued on and turned a corner before Supergirl could bring up her question. "How do you think Timber Wolf is taking this?"

"He's fine. It's been so long since we've dealt with anything related to his father, and he has control of his monstrous side."

"Monstrous side? I knew he was a werewolf…hm?"

Phantom Girl had stopped, hovering behind her. Supergirl flew back to her side as she sighed. "His family has always been a sensitive subject. I had hoped that we wouldn't ever deal with him again, but he did escape our grasp the last time. I suppose I'm just being overprotective."

"That's what it means to be a leader, right? To worry about your teammates, even if they don't want you to."

"…You're right. I'm just overreacting," Phantom Girl threw her hair back of her shoulder and smiled, "we have a mission to accomplish."

The groaning of animals became louder, and soon they could hear footsteps coming towards them. "Guess we're gonna have to add pet sitting to the mission," Supergirl said as five large, drooling dog-like monsters marched out into view of their flight ring flashlights.

* * *

"Elections will be happening soon."

Triplicate Girl sighed. "You're terrible at small talk, Cos." The duo flew down the hall towards the room where Brin had been strapped down and mutated. They entered to find empty cages surrounded the metal table, the computers still ripped up from when Timber Wolf slashed through him. "Let's focus on what's important here."

"Th elections are important, Triplicate Girl," he examined the cages for any evidence of life, "Phantom Girl has been a superb leader, but with so many new members to the Legion it's necessary to let them know who's ready for active leadership and who isn't."

"In other words, you."

"Look, I'm not trying to win your vote, I just-"

"What about Supergirl?" She faced him, amused by his confused expression. "You heard me. Dawnstar, Chamaeleon Boy and Superman all vouch for her, as does Kinetix, Shrinking Violet, Infectious Lass,"

"I know they do," he cut her off as the computers sparked, "and I'm not denying that she's a talented legionnaire, but think about it logically."

"Yeah, because I rarely do."

"Supergirl is new to the team, and doesn't have as much experience as we do. I don't want to place that kind of pressure on her."

"Bouncing Boy took the pressure quite well."

"Bouncing Boy had been on the team for years."

"Forget about years! She's more than capable of handling the Legion and you know it, Cosmic Boy."

He was about to continue their argument when footsteps approached the room. He signaled her for silence before the hid on either side of the door, waiting for whoever was coming to enter. After a moment Mar Londo walked in, reading over some charts on his pad as he walked towards the broken computers. Placing a save disk in one of the slots the cracked screens came to life. Cosmic Boy motioned for Triplicate Girl to continue down the hall while he dealt with the doctor, and after a few signs that she had her worries she reluctantly left the room.

"Doctor Londo," Cosmic Boy caused the doctor to spin around, "you're under arrest by orders of the Legion of Superheroes."

"The Legion. What a surprise," Mar Londo sighed, rubbing his nose and pushing his glasses up, "I didn't think I would ever meet you here again."

"Why are you on Rawl? And where are Brainiac's soldiers?"

"Brainiac? You're mistaken. I'm not working with any Coluan…," his eyes widened as he glanced behind Cosmic Boy, "unless you're speaking of those."

Cosmic Boy turned as three Brainiac soldiers dove into the room, smacking him against the metal table. He forced the cages to move with his powers and threw them at the robots, freeing him from their grip. He looked around for Mar Londo but he had disappeared during the short skirmish. "Londo, wait!"

The robots tackled him down in a dogpile, pinning his arms and legs to the ground. "What are you here for, Brainiac?"

One of the robots beeped, and Brainiac's voice came through. "I will be collecting Doctor Mar Londo's technology and experimentations for further analysis and technological advancement. And it is Brainiac 6 now."

"So you aren't working with him?"

"Not directly."

Cosmic Boy grit his teeth and threw the robots to the ceiling, holding them as he stood. "We won't allow you to further your army!"

"Cosmic Boy!"

He glanced back in time to see the three triplets take down a forth robot. "We've got nothing but a dead end further down."

"Then we'll meet up with the others," he studied the robots, "and we'll be taking these with us."

"Once again your foolishness ceases to amaze me, legionnaires," Brainiac said, "never let your enemies learn your secrets."

All the robots began to beep and glow, hotter and hotter. "Triplicate Girl," Cosmic Boy yelled, "get back!" He shoved the three of them out of the way as the robots self-destructed, destroying whatever was left of the room. The duo sat up to survey the damage.

"Brainiac can self-destruct his soldiers?" She moaned. "How are we going to take one in if he keeps destroying them?"

Cosmic Boy shook his head, irritated. "We'll have to keep searching. In the meantime, Mar Londo is somewhere in this vicinity, and if we don't find him, Brainiac may have found himself a powerful ally."

 **Yeah, so Brainiac isn't really a big focus in this episode, but he's always there. Always knowing. Always searching. Always watching. And boy is Triplicate Girl fun to write dialogue for. As for Cosmic Boy, yeah, he sort of bugged me when I first watched the show, but the guy deserves a break, taking on the responsibility of the Legion even when he isn't leader. The guy's a big, lovable worry-wart.**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	3. 03

Supergirl threw one of the dogs into another. "These guys are serious timewasters. We've made no progress down the hall!"

Phantom Girl phased out as two dogs ran into each other through her. "It's like someone doesn't want us going further down."

"You should go ahead. They can't touch you when you're in ghost form. I'll finish them off and join you soon."

Phantom Girl smiled. "Ghost form. I like it. Are you sure?"

"We need to find those robots. Forget about me and focus on getting us out of this creepy building faster!"

An explosion shook the hall. "And hurry, before this place comes down on us!"

Phantom Girl nodded and flew off in her intangible mode. Supergirl made sure all the dog monsters were behind her before turning to face them. "Okay, boys – _sit_!" She clapped her hands, unleashing a sonic blast that shoved them all back into each other. "Good boys."

"Supergirl," Cosmic Boy flew over to her, "Brainiac destroyed his robots. We can't get to them now."

"The nerve of him," she smacked her fist into her open palm, "after all the trouble we went to landing on this freak fest of a planet! Where's Triplicate Girl?"

"Off locating Brainiac 5 and Timber Wolf. Let's get Phantom Girl and search the premises for Londo before he can make a getaway."

* * *

Timber Wolf and Brainiac 5 weren't having any more luck. They had found only empty rooms and turned over crates left by wild animals. "As much as I hated being here during my father's experiments," he admitted, "at least some corners of the building felt cozy. Supergirl was right. I was living in a horror movie."

They came upon a door that made Timber Wolf pause. Brainy turned back to find him staring at the entrance like it hurt. "I'm assuming that room holds important memories."

Timber Wolf opened the door to find everything as he had once left it before his final transformation: bed to the side, dresser covered in photos of him and his father from happier times, a few pieces of sports equipment piled up. There was even an old poster of his showcasing the characters of a cartoon he watched as a child.

"This was my room," he told Brainy as they entered, where he picked up one of the dresser photos, "I spent a lot of time in here, what with all those dangerous monsters roaming outside. All this stuff came with us when we left home…I was clinging to the good times."

Brainy said nothing, because there was nothing he could say. Timer Wolf put the photo of him and his father riding space bikes back. "…Have you ever felt real fear, Brainy?"

"I've been afraid before. Afraid of losing control to Brainiac, afraid of hurting my friends…but no," he shook his head, "never real fear. None created by true adrenaline."

"Then you're lucky. You didn't live in fear of your own family. Not like some of us have."

"I knew what it was to fear."

"It's not the same. You don't know fear until you feel every inch of you shaking from the inside, your blood running cold."

"Sounds like how I felt when I thought I'd lost Violet on Brainiac's ship."

"No," Timer Wolf had them leave the room as the doors closed behind them, "real humans don't get the privilege of using stickers to keep our emotions under control like you do. Until you remove them, fear will never be a concept you can truly understand."

"…Then," Brainy sadly averted his gaze down the hall, "it'll be a long time before I feel fear."

"Allow me to help you get started with that!"

A member of the Dark Circle stepped into the light of their rings, holding a large bazooka. "It may not be stealthy, but it packs quite the scary punch!"

Brainy threw up a force field in front of them as the bazooka launched, blasting into the shield and sending pain striving up his arms. "Ah," he dropped the field and rubbed his arms, "big explosions aren't your group's forte."

"No one is here but us and some measly members of your Legion. Stealth is not one of our top priorities. What is a priority is bringing you in for our great leader." He tossed Timber Wolf a wrapped up piece of paper. He unfolded it to find Brainy's bounty. "Where did you get this?"

"We're the ones that put it out. Someone's willing to pay big time for you, Coluan scum, so either you come with us nicely, or we blow your friends to bits."

"I thought I heard an explosion," Timber Wolf bared his long fangs, "so it was you."

"We haven't begun yet. It must have been one of your people."

"Not possible. You're lying!"

"Hm," the Dark Circle assassin pondered, "then there are intruders…unless our client is trying to interfere. I'll have to regroup with the others." He grabbed a smoke bomb from his belt and threw it to the ground, hiding him within. Timber Wolf tried to sniff him out but the smoke had an herbal scent that confused his senses. "He won't get far. And don't inhale the smoke."

"Guys," Triplicate Girl flew up behind them, "we've had a bit of a development. Brainiac can self-destruct his robots."

Brainy sighed. "I was afraid of this…you know," he glanced at Timber Wolf, "without the real fear."

"There's more. Timber Wolf…your father is on Rawl, and he's gathering his old files."

Timber Wolf's eyes widened. "Are you sure? I've been fooled before."

"I-I'm not sure, but if it is, we finally have a chance to take him in."

"We've lost my ancestor's soldiers but found Mar Londo and the Dark Circle." Brainy looked back down the hall where the smoke was beginning to clear. "Something tells me that we're about to walk into a heap of danger we're not prepared for."

"…Uh, yeah," she shrugged, "that's what we call intuition. A helpful guide."

"Then this could mean…," Timber Wolf clenched his fists, "that my father has connections to the Dark Circle."

 **So yes, the Dark Circle has arrived, and they have a big part in whatever Londo is doing back here on Rawl. It's tome for the Legion to fight back against an old enemy. If you haven't guessed yet, I'm also using this episode to try and give Brainy and Timber Wolf at least a little bit of time to connect. I wish they had more interactions in the show, but at least here they can talk about personal things.**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	4. 04

Phantom Girl wasn't liking the vibes coming off the dark walls of the hallway as she phased through monster after monster. "Next time I volunteer to come on one of these missions, I'm giving myself a good smack in the face."

She finally came upon a locked entrance at the end of the corridor, guarded by two bear-like creatures on their hind legs. She turned invisible and slipped between them, phasing through the door and finding herself in a room with walls completely covered by large computer screens.

"Let's see," she flew over to the computer console opposite the door and began searching through the files, "what have you been up to in here, Brainiac?"

After a few files were opened the screens suddenly flashed on with charts and stats about new mutated monsters – including Timber Wolf. "I don't believe it," she gasped as she turned to the screen comprised of a new likeness of him, only much larger and far more feral than she'd ever seen him, "these…Brainiac hasn't been using these files. Doctor Londo has!"

 _Thud! Thud! Thud!_

The locked doors crashed to the ground, followed by the two guarding monsters. Supergirl and Cosmic Boy flew in after. "Phantom Girl, trouble. As usual."

"Guys," she frantically pointed to the screen, "Doctor Londo has – Dark Circle!"

All three faced the door as one of the masked assassins pressed a button on a small remote. An electric cage appeared over the entrance and all four walls. Phantom Girl tried phasing through it but was only shocked, and Supergirl punched it to no avail.

"This will keep you out of the way until were done," the assassin walked back into the darkness, "but I assure you that, once we're finish, your fates will be very short lived."

"…As I was saying," Phantom Girl continued, "I don't think Brainiac has anything here. Doctor Londo does!"

"We came to tell you that," Cosmic Boy said, "Were dealing with the Dark Circle."

"Oh, yeah, cuz I needed you to tell me."

Supergirl pondered their situation. "Brainiac must have sent his robots here for a reason, but from what you've told me, Cos, Londo didn't know they'd be here. If he's working with the Dark Circle…could Brainiac secretly be working with the Dark Circle as well?"

"We'll never find out," Cosmic Boy looked out into the hall, "unless we find a way out of here."

* * *

Timber Wolf, Triplicate Girl and Brainy found themselves looking into the hangar, where a Dark Circle ship waited to depart. Assassins were wandering around, and in the middle of them stood Doctor Londo. "We go out there and we're caught," Triplicate Girl observed, "but I can only catch glimpses of their conversation. I sure wish Phantom Girl was here."

Timber Wolf focused in on his father, pointing his ears forward. "…They're discussing your bounty, Brainy…their private client is paying them to assist my father's research."

"Why would he do that?"

"Brainiac has always been obsessed with knowledge," Brainy explained in whispers, "he wants to perform the digitization process in a galaxy where he can learn as much as possible. If Londo can create enough creatures with his research, it will be that much more information my ancestor can take with him."

"…Take with him where?"

Brainy didn't answer her, and she didn't ask anything further. Doctor Londo was moving away from the group now, but he wasn't about to take to the ship. He moved to a metal door and opened it, and in walked a cyborg. It was mesh of robot and organic material, a yeti-like soldier that stood behind the doctor. "This is only the beginning, gentlemen," he announced loud enough for the legionnaires to hear, "and with your funding, I will soon have enough to build and army."

"Strange," one of the assassins by the ship remarked, "weren't you trying to accomplish the same thing for Imperiex?"

"Imperiex was a lunatic that wanted nothing more than utter chaos. I consider my work to be organized and substantial to more than simply the ending of useless lives. I will revolutionize life with my research."

"Our leader believes you to be an advantageous ally. Do not disappoint us."

"We can't let this happen," Triplicate Girl whispered, "let's get the others and-"

"That may be too late," Timber Wolf glanced back at her, "we need to act before the ship and my father leave."

"We're outnumbered!"

"But we have the advantage of surprise."

"Sorry," a voice came from behind them, "but no one takes the Dark Circle by surprise."

They turned just as an assassin pointed a gun at them and shot them into the opening with a sonic boom. The entire hangar was aware of their presence now, and assassins were leveling their weapons at the legionnaires. Brainy covered them with a force field as the guns fired, lighting up the hangar. "I can hold it for a few minutes at the most."

"Not that we totally can't handle these guys on our own," Triplicate Girl was counting heads, "but where are our leaders?"

* * *

Cosmic Boy couldn't move metal inside the electric field, and Supergirl's powers were useless. "…So," she turned to the others, "who wants to play an icebreaker?"

"A what?"

"You know, get to know one another by sharing personal information. Not too personal. Things like your favourite colour and where you grew up."

Phantom Girl sighed. "As much fun as that sounds, we still have the problem of being trapped in a room with no way to contact the others."

"Our rings?"

"No signal in here."

"Phantom Girl, a leader needs to be able to stay calm and think on the go." Cosmic Boy flew over beside her. "What's the plan for escaping?"

"Give me a second, okay?" She put her hands to her hips and faced him head on. "It's not like you were the perfect leader."

"I'm not trying to say I am!"

"You're just mad because you haven't been leader in years!"

Cosmic Boy was about to give her a quip back – until Supergirl suddenly broke between them, without a word, and tossed them both back into the electric field.

 **Supergirl isn't playing around anymore. Man, she's fun to write. I wish there had been a third season so we could have seen her animated and fighting alongside the Legion, but at least that open ended finale gives us more than enough possibilities to write our own stories. Now comes the hard part of balancing out her, Superman and Kel-el in the episodes. So many Kryptonians, so little time...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	5. 05

"YOW!"

Phantom Girl and Cosmic Boy hit the field and fell to the floor, unharmed but in shock. Supergirl landed between them. "Are your heads clear yet?"

"Have you lost your mind," Cos stood and snapped at her, gesturing to the force field, "you could have cooked our insides by throwing us at that!"

"Are you saying that you can't handle a little shock, Cosmic Boy?"

"I'm gonna agree with grumpy over there," Phantom Girl stepped beside her, "is this some kind of twenty-first century mediation? Throwing your friends into electricity?"

"Look, I know you both have experience leading an entire Legion of heroes, but guess what? They're not around. It's up to us three to get out of here, and I won't stand for unnecessary arguments when time is not on our side."

Cosmic Boy crossed his arms. "You don't know what you're saying."

She shot him a look. "I saw my planet destroyed before my eyes. My people were killed because they… _we_ were too busy arguing over what to do that we lost everything to Brainiac. I won't allow the same to happen to you guys."

Phantom Girl and Cosmic Boy averted their gazed, embarrassed. "Forget your embarrassment for now," Supergirl smiled at each of them, "we have a field to break…somehow."

* * *

"The force field is breaking," Brainiac 5 warned the others as the purple energy began wavering, "I can throw it at them, but they'll only be stunned for a second or two. Split before they aim and take the guns out!"

He forced the field to spread out, knocking the assassins off their feet. Brainy took a moment to catch his breath as Triplicate Girl got to her hands and spin kicking gun after gun away. Timber Wolf sliced through the weapons as his father got behind his large cyborg. He turned, growling at him. "Father!"

"Give me a moment, Brin," Londo replied, "there is something else I must deal with first. Go, my creation!"

The cyborg's eyes came to life. It raised its arm and shot a laser at Timber Wolf's feet, sending him farther back. In the moment of shock two assassins grabbed Brainy's arms while two more shot Triplicate Girl down and caught her in an electric band around her arms.

"Not again," Timber Wolf jumped onto the cyborg, "you won't be hurting my friends anymore!"

The Cyborg grabbed him and threw him to the ground, but he managed to slice the robotic arm off. "Still getting the hang of your body, I see."

"Hey, Timber Wolf," Triplicate Girl struggled against the assassins holding her back, "a little help over here!"

"No," Londo held a remote up towards Timber Wolf, "no more help for you." He pressed the top button, and Timber Wolf froze. The cyborg backed away as he began snarling, holding his head in his hands.

"I deactivated the nanites you put in him," Brainy turned to Londo, "you can't be doing this to him!"

"Then obviously you forgot about the smoke he was sniffing around in trying to find me," the assassin on his left snickered, "more nanites, more feral power."

Timber Wolf swung his head back and howled. His back arched, his legs and arms bulged, and his pupils thinned out. As his fangs grew, he began to drool.

His feral form had been unleashed.

* * *

A howl shook the room. "That howling," Phantom Girl gazed at the ceiling, "it sounds awfully familiar…Cosmic Boy, you don't think…"

Cosmic Boy's expressions hardened. "I made too many mistakes last time Timber Wolf went feral. We have something in common, Supergirl – we can't let what happened in the past repeat itself."

"I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but I agree," she studied the field of electricity, "hm…Phantom Girl, can you make all of us intangible?"

"Yeah, but I can't get us through the cage."

"Just do it."

She shrugged and held their shoulders, phasing them out. "Now, Cosmic Boy," she pointed to the computer screens, "don't focus on the field. It only keeps up from trying to get out from inside, right?"

"…But it can't keep us from escaping from the outside in!" Cos bent the screens to his will, pressing them against the field. It fizzed and beeped, and suddenly the metal smashed in around them, completely ripping apart the room.

As the field shattered Phantom Girl dragged them back into the hallway. "Good thinking, Supergirl," Cosmic Boy admitted as they became tangible again, "though it makes me wonder why they didn't make it repel our powers completely."

Supergirl winked. "Guess they weren't thinking outside the box."

"We need to hurry," Phantom Girl led the way, "no wolf is going feral while I'm in charge."

* * *

"Timber Wolf," Triplicate Girl's voice was one edge as the assassins pulled her back beside Doctor Londo, "listen to me. You can control this!"

"…Yes," he replied in a deep, deep voice, "I _can_ control it."

"…Wait, what?"

He stood on his hind legs, walking towards her and his father. "I am no wild animal. This strength is my to use as I see fit…isn't that right, father?"

Londo let out a small smile as his cyborg too to one knee, bowing to Timber Wolf. "A general deserves no restrictions to his power."

"Those nanites," Brainy said, "they had personality enhancers in them. You haven't just unleashed his feral powers, you've brainwashed him into becoming your slave."

"A general," one of the assassins wondered, "so this is the one that will lead us to victory?"

"You? Victory?"

"Yes, Coluan child," Londo sighed with relief, "at long last I've been reunited with my son. I am the real Londo. No more hiding. Starting today, the Dark Circle, matched with my expertise, shall finally show the world the true power of my research. In other words…nothing can stand in our way."

"…Except Timber Wolf."

"I beg your pardon?"

Brainy stepped on one of the assassins' feet and flung him over his shoulders into the other one. "Timber Wolf," the legionnaires turned to him, "you said that I've never known real fear."

"…Correct."

"…Then I guess it's about time we see what happens when a Coluan knows true terror." He reached up to his face – and ripped his emotional stabilizers off.

 **Oh, yes, the gloves are off - or should I say, the stabilizers are off. I didn't read the comic where it happened, but I know that at some point Brainy's stickers stopped working, and...well, let's just say that things didn't go so well. You all remember "Brain Drain", right? Yeah, like anyone could ever forget it. Well...I hope you liked that episode. A lot.**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	6. 06

"Brainy, stop," Triplicate Girl called out, "you said you had no control yet!"

He dropped the stabilizers on the floor. "That's the point…!" He stumbled back holding his head. "Ah…so many…thoughts!"

"Brin," Londo pointed at Brainy, "show him what true fear is."

Timber Wolf stalked towards Brainy, who was looking around as though in a daze. Triplicate Girl could do nothing as he fell onto his back and crawled back from Brin, who snarled and bared his fangs again. "You've made a grave error."

"No, wait," Brainy's voice was ringing with fear as he froze, Timber Wolf above him, "d-don't…please!"

"Timber Wolf," Triplicate Girl yelled, "stop!"

He didn't listen. Smacking his paws down on either side of Brainy he let out a horrific roar that tore across the hangar and echoed into the forest outside. Brainy's eyes widened as he covered his ears. He leaned back, expecting Brainy to glare back at him in anger…but he wasn't. He wasn't angry in the slightest.

He was scared. No, terrified. His eyes were wide and there were tears streaming down his cheeks. Timber Wolf was at a loss for words. Never had anyone seen a Coluan cried. "…Brainy?"

Brainy didn't respond, slowly inching back. Once he was out from under Timber Wolf and got to his feet and ran off into another hallway. "Quick," one of the assassins ordered, "After him! Do not let him escape!"

"Oh no you don't!" Triplicate Girl glowed, and her white and orange selves freed themselves by flying upwards, leaving the purple one behind. "Brainy, wait!" They flew off as the purple triplet was dragged onto the ship.

Timber Wolf took a step towards the hall.

"Brin."

He turned back to his father. "We have many things to discuss aboard the ship. Join me."

Timber Wolf followed his father and the cyborg onto the ship, though not without one last glance down the hallway.

* * *

"Where did he go?" There were at least a dozen assassins wandering the hall, which entered into a large room filled with pipes and generators. "Scour every inch of this room until you find him!"

They split up and began using their gun lights to search through the darkness. Two of them went off to the right – only to be kicked unconscious by the two triplets. One after the others the assassins fell to their judo until onto two assassins remained.

"This is absurd," one of them snapped, "move out to the next room!" He dropped a smoke bomb, filling the room and allowing them to escape. The two triplets looked around the room. "Brainy? Are you here? Please respond, Brainy!"

They flew into the next room following the escaping assassins, unaware of Brainy's presence behind one of the larger pipes. He sat against the wall, covering his ears and taking deep breaths.

* * *

"Sit," the assassin threw the purple triplet onto a chair, "And stay quiet."

She stuck her tongue out at him as he moved back beside Brin and Londo, who were looking over screens of charts. "As you can see, with my research and your technology, the Dark Circle will be unstoppable across the galaxy, and I will finally be able to show those who doubted me the power of my scientific discoveries."

Pictures of cyborgs popped up, training with weapons and upgrading each other. "Our leader will be most pleased," the assassin praised the situation, "and once we retrieve Brainiac 5, our mission here on Rawl will be complete. Speaking of which," he pressed a couple buttons on the console, opening up cameras, "ah, there we go."

One image was of the hangar, where Phantom Girl, Supergirl and Cosmic Boy flew in and started looking around. The other was an image of the generator room, where Brainy could be seen quivering behind a pipe. "Send the cyborgs at the legionnaires. I'll go and collect Brainiac 5." The assassin left them alone on the ship, the one armed cyborg following him out.

"Not good," the purple triplet watched as a bunch of cyborgs guarded the Dark Circle member as he ran off, leaving the legionnaires surrounded, "Timber Wolf, snap out of it! We need you!"

"My son," Londo ignored her as he stepped over and placed his hands on Timber Wolf's arms, proudly smiling, "finally, after all these years…we have been reunited."

"…It's really you, father."

"This is no trick. I knew this would be the day that we met."

"How?"

"Destiny."

The purple Triplet faked gagged. "A scientist believing in destiny? You really are insane."

"We would eventually meet, and when we did I knew that my nanites would fully release the true you, the real instincts I gave you for survival."

"Brin, listen to me," Triplicate Girl finally got his attention, "every time we end up here your father tries to make you his…his slave! Don't keep falling for his lies. He may be your father, but a real father doesn't use his son for his experiments!"

"…I am no one's slave," Timber Wolf turned from her and towards the screens, watching the legionnaires beating up the cyborgs, "and I know where I belong."

Doctor Londo couldn't be prouder than that moment. Timber Wolf turned the cameras off – and then he slashed through the console, sending sparks everywhere.

"Brin," Londo yelled, "what have you done?!"

"You don't think I anticipated that smoke to have nanites in it? I know you better than you think," Timber Wolf turned back to him, still in feral form but his voice back to normal, "I am a legionnaire, and nothing you do can ever take me away from that again!"

"I had the perfect plan for us! How could you do this to me?!"

"I knew you'd show up eventually, thought the Dark Circle was a surprise. When we met, I vowed to bring you down, however possible." He walked over and freed Triplicate Girl. "It's over, father."

"Brin, he's escaping!"

They turned to see Londo running out of the ship. "Don't worry," Timber Wolf assured her, "he won't be getting away ever again."

 **Did any of you guys ever see "Monsters Inc.", the Pixar movie? Remember the scene where Sully gives a demonstration of his power and roars, only to scare Boo away? I took some inspiration from that scene here. Without his stabilizers I imagine Brainy is probably as feeble as a child would be with only three years of experience with their emotions. Which doesn't bode well for saving him from the Dark Circle...**

 **Until the next chapter!**


	7. 07

"Oh, yeah," the white and orange triplets did a fist pump as they stood over the dozen tied up assassins, "wait until Bouncing Boy hears that we beat these guys on our own."

"Now for some answers," the white one knelt down in front of one of them, "why have you put a bounty out Brainiac 5?"

"Heh," the assassin snickered in her face, "as if you don't already know."

The girls shared a worried look.

* * *

Supergirl clapped the dust off her hands as he piled up the last of the cyborgs. "Has anyone responded, Cosmic Boy?"

"Saturn Girl and Invisible Kid are on their way," he replied as he turned his ring communication off, "…Phantom Girl?"

She was looking down the hall where Timber Wolf had run off as the purple triplet looked over the Dark Circle's ship. "…He'll be fine," Supergirl came up next to her, "trust him. This is his mission to complete."

* * *

Timber Wolf walked into the dark generator room and nearly stumbled over a Dark Circle member. He bent down and picked him up. "Uh," the assassin groaned as his head drooped, "Londo…you…traitor…"

"I know you're here, father," Timber Wolf placed the assassin back down and walked further into the room, "you can't run anymore. The Legion is taking you in for your crimes."

"Let me go!"

"Brainy?" Timber Wolf stopped as his father walked out, dragging a resistant Brainy behind him. When Brainy saw him he hid behind his father, eyeing him from over his shoulder. "You see," Londo smirked, "you really are a monster. There's no running from it."

"I may be a monster, but at least I'm no cretin."

"You would call your own father a cretin? You're not being a good role model for the boy."

Timber Wolf snarled for the last time. "I have no father."

Londo pressed the button on his remote again but it did nothing. "Your nanites won't work. I didn't inhale them in the smoke. I was careful not to allow any of the smoke to enter my body. Whenever it comes to your work, Londo, I take all precautions."

"…And what about your friends?" Londo stepped out of Brainy's way. "What precautions do they take?"

The two triplets flew in behind him. "Brainy! Timber Wolf!"

Brainy turned to them, and his expression turned to anger. "I don't need your help!" He threw a force field arm out, smacking them aside. Timber Wolf ran over and pinned him to the ground, where his anger suddenly became a smile. "Glad to see you're in control again."

"But you aren't, Brainy. Not without your stabilizers."

He frowned. "First I don't feel fear, and then I don't have control. Can nothing please you Londo's?!"

Londo backed away before running off, only to run into the Dark Circle assassin he had knocked down before. The assassin pulled out a gun and aimed it at the doctor's chest. "No one betrays the Dark Circle and lives to tell the tale."

Timber Wolf let Brainy up in time to turn. "Don't!"

 _Bang!_

Doctor Londo fell to the ground with one last wail of pain.

He did not move.

He did not breathe.

The assassin ran out of the generator room, the two triplets close behind him. "We'll get him, Timber Wolf!"

Timber Wolf didn't know what he felt. His father laid on the cold metal floor, eyes open in shock, the gun still smoking a few feet away from his limp body. All the good and bad memories he had blended together, making it hard to know whether to cry or cheer. He wasn't going to do either, but his heart was beating faster than it ever had.

"My fault," Brainy fell to his knees, holding head again as more tears streamed down, "this is all my fault. Anger, rage, fear, happiness, sadness, disgust, joy, exhaustion, nausea…I can't tell one from the other…"

Timber Wolf got down beside him. "…You've had those stabilizers for more than a little while, haven't you?"

Brainy could only nod. "I told them I wasn't ready…not ready…never ready…"

* * *

"You like it?" Invisible Kid pat the side of the small ship he and Saturn Girl had come in as Supergirl finished piling up the cyborgs outside the laboratory. "R. J. Brande lent it to us."

Triplicate Girl and Phantom Girl flew off to get the main cruiser as Cosmic Boy landed beside Supergirl. "I…I have to thank you again for what you did today. I shouldn't have been so hard on you."

"Forget about it," she waved it off, "every group of heroes needs their overprotective, kinda strict member."

"…Thank…you?"

Saturn Girl walked out of the laboratory, guiding Brainy with his eyes closed. "I'm keeping his thoughts under control until Invisible Kid can replicate the stabilizers," she explained to Supergirl as they took to the sky, "and Timber Wolf's already on the ship."

"And Doctor Londo?"

She shook her head. "It's best not to mention it. Not unless you're Phantom Girl."

"…Hm?"

* * *

Timber Wolf gazed out the cruiser window as the ship set off into space. He always had a hard time looking at his reflection whenever he thought about his father. Eventually Phantom Girl came down the hall towards him. "Hey," she said as she stopped by him, "you doing okay?"

"…Better than before."

Phantom Girl moaned. "I knew it. Impossible."

"Excuse me?"

She placed her head between him and the window. "If this is bugging you, which it obviously should be, then do something about it."

"Like what? Burst into tears and spill out all my feelings?"

"That's not you. But talking about it is sure to help…talking to," she leaned in closer, "certain people you trust."

"…After all these years…my father is gone. We have over a dozen Dark Circle members to take in, and his research has been erased…but he's _gone_."

"Do you think Brainiac planned this?"

"I don't care. My family doesn't have anything to do with him."

"It just feels like he's everywhere nowadays, always watching us."

"…"

"Sorry, this is about you."

"…No," he smiled, "this is about us."

She wrapped him in a hug as they watched the stars float by.

 **ROLL CREDITS**

 **Despite this story being the same length as the last one, it feels relatively short. I knw I didn't include much fighting here, but I really wanted it to be a conclusion to Timber Wolf and his father's conflict. Don't worry, the next story will give him a chance to shine, and I'm taking a more lighthearted tone with it. Be sure to stay tuned for "Family Ties".**

 **Thanks for reading, and until the next story!**


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